Fixture for sliding curtains.



A. DlCKEY & R. A. HOPE. FIXTURE FOR SLIDING CURTAINS. APPLICATION FILED 020.21. 1915.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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'NE' NIH is PETERS CO., PM D. C.

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ADAM DICKEY, OF BOSTON, AND ROBERT A. HOPE, F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIXTURE FOR SLIDING CURTAINS.

Application filed December 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ADAM DICKEY, citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, and ROBERT A. Horn, subject of Great Britain, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fixtures for Sliding Curtains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fixtures for sliding curtains, and has for its object the construction of the same, whereby a moldingstrip having a longitudinal circular bore through it may be employed as a support for a set of slidable hangers. Usually, the mold ing-strip has been composed of two parts which are secured together and-the guideway for the hangers is formed by cutting away portions of both parts along their adjoining sides. It is a distinct advantage to construct the molding-strip of one piece and the provision of a circular bore for the hangers enables this to be done. A bore of such form does not have fiat-surfaced tracks at opposite sides of the guide-slot, which latter leads from the bore to the bottom of the strip, to support the sliding-hangers. Hence, much difficulty has been encountered in con structing a hanger which may be moved along the circular guide-way. A cylindrical block has been employed, which has been moved bodily along the bore, but, on account of friction, they are not easily moved, except when supporting very light curtains. Hangers having rolls have been employed in connection with molding-strips having fiat surfaced tracks, but so far as we are aware these rolls have not been adapted to a circular guide-way.

In accordance with this invention rolls are employed by which friction is substantially reduced, but said rolls are spherically formed and of a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the bore. Rolls of such form may be moved easily along the bore and also may rock in the bore, if desired. These spherical rolls may be formed of a solid piece or may be composed of two or more pieces. They are formed or provided with a center journal, and a support is adapted to receive them, which extends down through the guide-slot and has a terminal connection for a curtain. Said support may also be provided both front and rear with bumpers which are adapted to en- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Serial No. 68,606.

gage bumpers on adjacent hangers, to prevent the rolls from engaging each other.

Figure 1 is a front elevation and partial section of a fixture for sliding curtains embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the supporting-plate or member for the rolls. Fig. 4 is a bottom plate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the rolls. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a. modified form of roll. The supporting-member 10 is here shown as a thin plate having an car 12 at its lower edge for the connection therewith of a curtain and having at its front and rear edges laterally extended overturned cars 13, 14, adapted toform bumpers, and having obliquely arranged slots 15, 16, to receive the journals of a pair of rolls. These slots are extended inward from the edges of the plate and are adapted to be contracted at their Outer ends to hold the journals of the rolls in place, although other means are also herein provided for holding said rolls against displacement, as for instance, the bumpers may be arranged to extend over the ends of the slots.

The rolls 20, one or more of which may be employed, are made spherical, and, as here shown, comprise two hemispherical portions joined together by short journals or stems which are arranged between them. These rolls may be formed of a single piece of metal by forming a circumferential groove of considerable depth, in the spherical bodies, which groove is of a width to freely receive the supporting-plate, and the cylindrical portion at the bottom of the groove serves as the journal, or said roll may be composed of sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein two hemispherical portions are provided, one of which has a tubular stem to receive telescopically a stem on the other member. As long as the rolls are spherical, or approximately so, it is immaterial, so far as our invention is concerned, what the precise structure may be, as both the single-piece and the twopart forms are practical, and both will serve to attain the desired ends. These hangers are adapted to be supported by the molding-strip, and, as here shown 30 represents such a strip composed of the single piece of wood having a longitudinal circular bore 31, forming a guide-way and having a guide-slot 32 leading from said bore to the bottom of the strip plan of the supportinglhis guide-slot is made of a substantial width, and the bumpers are arranged on the supporting-plate to occupy positions in said slot, so that the supporting-plate is prevented from swinging into various angular positions, and its edges from binding against the walls of said slot. or may be of a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the circular bore, and arranged therein and are adapted to be freely moved along, without undue friction.

Our invention, however, includes a mold ing strip of any other construction, although preferably having a circular bore.

We claim 1. A fixture for sliding curtains comprising a molding strip having an internal guide-way throughout its length, circular in cross-section, and a guide-slot leading therefrom to the bottom of the strip, hangers supported by said strip, each comprising a support adapted to be connected with a curtain and one or more rolls journaled in said support adapted to be received in and to travel along said guide-way and front and rear bumpers arranged on the support below the rolls, which occupy positions in the guideslot and which project beyond the peripheries of the rolls. 7

2. A fixture for sliding curtains comprising a molding strip having an internal guideway throughout its length, circular in crosssection, and a guide-slot leading therefrom to the bottom of the strip, hangers supported by said strip, each comprising a support adapted to be connected with a curtain and one or more rolls journaled in said support adapted to be received in and to travel along said guide-way, the front and rear edges of said support having loop-formed projections The spherical rolls are with smooth sides to slide freely in the guideslot the end-portions of said projections serving as abutments, said projections extending beyond the peripheries of the rolls.

3. A fixture for sliding curtains comprising a molding strip having an internal guideway throughout its length, circular in crosssection, and a guide-slot leading therefrom to the bottom of the strip, hangers supported by said strip, each comprising a supporting-plate adapted to be connected with a curtain and having slots in its front and rear edges and spherical rolls having journals at their centers arranged to enter said slots and means extending over the entrances of the slots to partially close the same for holding the rolls in place.

' i. A fixture for sliding curtains comprising hangers, each having a supporting member adapted to be connected with the curtain, and having qne or more spherical rolls, each roll comprising two hemispherical hollow portions having tubular center stems, arranged one within the other, to connect said 7 portions together'and serve as a journal for the roll, said hangers adapted to be support ed by a molding-strip having an internal guide-way throughout its length, circular in cross section, and having a guide slot lead- 7 ing from said guide-way to the bottom of the strip.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

: ADAM DICKEY.

nonnnr A. HOPE.

W'itnesses B. J. NoYEs,

H. B. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

